by Paul Heisel
It was musty down here. The outside access the cellar had been shut off as well, and Feln could see on the edge of the lantern light the hatch remained barred. There were faint traces of the flour, and he followed them until it ended at the wall. He searched the barrels, finding no trace of the assassin. He put the lantern down, sheathed his katana, and began moving the heavy barrels. Not until he found a barrel against the wall that was steadfast did he realize the cellar’s secret. The barrel had been attached to the wood lining of the cellar, and it swung open on silent well-oiled hinges. Ahead of him was a dark hole roughly hewn and leading into the unknown. A clamor of feet above turned his attention to the stairs, where he called for the guards to come down and join him. It wasn’t the guards he had asked for, it was TeBroo.
“Great, another tunnel,” TeBroo said. He took out a stout dagger. “This time, I’ll go first.”
“No argument here.”
TeBroo took the lantern as well and crouched into the earthy hole, then scooted along. Feln followed. The tunnel was crude, apparently it had served its purpose though, not supported with timbers and it looked unstable. They traveled for many yards, going up at a slight angle. TeBroo came to a halt at a rudimentary wooden hatch. With a heave, TeBroo pushed open the wood planks and leaped into the unknown. Feln followed on his heels, darted out to his right and pulled the Dragonfly katana free. They were in a small self-contained chamber, the marble walls stained from time and the intrusion of water. It smelled moldy and musty. In the center was a stone slab, upon it a marble sarcophagus undisturbed with a name chiseled into the stone.
Fandren Alosiuss Nicaby
“The cemetery,” Feln said. The cemetery, the oldest in Waskhal, wasn’t used any longer – it was full, no additional land existed for interment.
They opened the mausoleum door and slipped outside, the evening sun was dipping along the horizon. The last rays of the day greeted them. To the left, Feln could see the top of the old church, the walls around the cemetery blocking a complete view of the building. The front gate was distant and he thought he saw the trailing hem of a robe disappear from his line of sight. The gate clanked shut.
“There!”
Both sped over the hallowed ground, jumping through the gate and to the avenue. There were people heading home from a day’s work, others were going out for the evening. Monks were about, as were soldiers. Feln scanned the crowd right and left, hoping to catch a glimpse of the person they were following. Most logically, the assassin would make for the closest exit if he thought he was free and clear, but if he thought he was being followed, he would make for an alternate less predictable route. Feln kept looking for the assassin. He saw a monk slipping through the crowd toward the nearest gate. The robe the monk wore was passable as being part of their monastery, but the hood was too pointed. It was his best guess.
“I found him,” Feln said, walking quickly. “Pointed hood. Look, right there.”
“Shall we take him?”
“No, let’s follow him and see where he goes. If he has friends, I want to get them as well.”
They fell in stride twenty yards distant from the man who was moving at a moderate pace along the avenue. They passed in front of the church, turned right down a street that would take them to the gate. The air was tense. Feln felt tingles in his muscles. The energy and the magic of the belt were preparing him for whatever they would face.
“I’ll follow him,” TeBroo said. “You get Ayorris and reinforcements. I have a bad feeling about this. We’re going to need more men.”
“Too late for that,” Feln replied. “We have to keep up with him now or he’ll get away!”
“That’s an order,” TeBroo spoke emphatically as they neared the gate. Their quarry was outside of the monastery, shuffling down the cobbled streets. TeBroo stopped and retained one of the monks at the gate to help him, then sent Feln back into the monastery with a jab of his finger.
Feln stood at the gate, undecided. TeBroo and the guard were following the assassin who had picked up speed and was headed deeper into the city. There was the possibility, remote as it were, that TeBroo was part of the scheme. That didn’t make sense, if TeBroo was part of this, then Caleth would be dead. The sun was dipping deeper along the horizon, the city lanterns were being lit while the citizens went about their evening routines. TeBroo and the other monk turned a corner and were lost to Feln’s view. He took a deep breath. He had no intention of following TeBroo’s order. Yes there would be reprimands, maybe punishment for not following the order. Feln knew, though, he had to follow them. If he went to find Ayorris, then later they would only find TeBroo and the other monk’s dead bodies.
#
Feln slipped into the darkened area where TeBroo and the monk vanished. He blinked, becoming invisible, then he went around the corner. They were walking swiftly, but not careful enough to go unnoticed. The assassin continued to move at a moderate walking pace ahead of them. He turned another corner and was out of sight. TeBroo and the monk did as well. Feln followed, understanding the path they were on – this would take them to Caleth! When he was halfway down the alley, a person jumped from a rooftop, landing soft as a cat and just a silent. It looked like a monk, but no one Feln knew, and from this distance he couldn’t determine if it was a Fury or not. The assumption was this had to be the assassin’s partner.
The partner hurried down the alleyway, turned the corner, and followed TeBroo. Feln was still distant and wouldn’t be able to overtake them unless he ran. He remained invisible, kept on the trail at the same pace. Eventually he would catch them. Running would alert the partner assassin to his presence, so he maintained his walking pace. Feln figured as long as he could still see the monk, then he could act. If it was a Fury, he had to expect a magical attack. He would have to be swift and he knew with his belt, his knowledge, and his skills, he would have the advantage if he got close enough. That was the key, getting in the Fury's face and not letting them use magic at a distance. The streets and alleys now flew by as he moved, his chi draining quickly. He was tiring and knew he couldn’t remain invisible much longer. The question was, how long until the assassins would try to dispose of TeBroo?
#
Feln watched as the trailing assassin took another path, splitting off and going somewhere else, he presumed to get to a better vantage point. TeBroo and the monk concealed themselves at the side of a building, lingering, watching. The first assassin must have stopped. They were near Caleth’s secret location, but not exactly, which made Feln wonder what the assassins were going to do first. Would they mount an attack on TeBroo? Finish him first, then go after Caleth? Maybe they only knew the area Caleth was hiding, not the exact location. Feln moved closer. TeBroo and the monk were talking in hushed tones. The assassin had disappeared and they weren’t sure where he went. Feln backtracked, cursing, then went in the direction of the assassin who had taken another path. He was at the end of his magic reserves, so he blinked visible and crouched as he maneuvered along the walls. It was dark except for the glare from the lantern posts. People were on the streets, not many, still Feln couldn’t find either of the assassins. He circled around until he was near where he left TeBroo, only to discover they had gone. Shades! Feln found a spot near rain barrels, took cover, and rested a moment. From here he had a clear view of the intersection and the streets going either direction. Down the street he could see where Caleth was housed. He waited.
Minutes later, Feln saw TeBroo lurking along the buildings. They had split up, which meant the other monk was dead. They shouldn’t have split up. TeBroo was methodically searching the area for signs of the assassins. Feln was about to stand up and cross the street when the two assassins appeared behind TeBroo. Feln was sure if he called out, the assassins would scatter, regroup, then attack. But if he used TeBroo as bait, he had a chance to at least capture one of them. He let them follow TeBroo, and Feln stayed a discreet distance behind. Feln regretted his decision, and it was too late, as TeBroo went inside the bui
lding where Caleth was hidden. The assassins were a short distance away, but not close enough for him to attack with enough surprise. He would either have to ambush them by sneaking up, or go running headlong into them, screaming his lungs out so TeBroo and Caleth would know danger was outside the building. The latter he thought was the best course of action.
One assassin lifted his arms as if he was getting ready, his sleeves dropping to his elbows. The street lantern’s dim light reflected off the orange tattoo. Feln bolted ahead, unleashing the Dragonfly blade in one swift powerful motion. The magic belt augmented his speed, he could sense that, and it felt as if time was transpiring slowly. Both assassins turned to see what was coming at them, but Orange Tattoo looked back towards the building and shot out his arm.
Feln hollered, closing the distance, hoping TeBroo and Caleth would hear his warning. Tamuel’s assassin, dark hair and pointed beard, turned to face Feln without a weapon and sent streaks of thin, spidery lightning at him. The bluish magic flew over a rolling Feln, carrying down the avenue and into a building. As Feln popped up, Orange Tattoo unleashed a torrent of fire at the building. The heat expanded from the monk, bringing with it a wave of hot air that washed over Feln. He cut the Dragonfly katana in an arc, the horizontal strike went through Tamuel’s assassin’s gut and spilled his innards. Feln finished him with a downward stroke.
The building was now in flames and Orange Tattoo leapt away from Feln, shooting out his hands and bringing forth a fan of defensive fire. It managed to get to Feln before he could dodge it entirely, catching his robes on fire. He rolled and rolled, trying to get the flames out before the Fury could attack again. Expecting more fire, Feln kept moving until he could come to a crouching position, arms extended for balance. He could feel the heat from his charred robes.
Orange Tattoo was turning toward the building, swatting at the air, momentarily distracted. TeBroo and other monks had burst out of the door, shurikens and small daggers flying from their hands one after the other. Feln lunged forward and tackled the Fury, feeling the sting of shurikens that hit his shoulder, hip, and leg. He took the Fury down to the cobblestones, where both struggled for position. Feln wrapped his legs around the Fury for control and twisted him, but just as he was going to get the advantage he felt a searing heat on his back. Feln let go, jerked away, and found his feet.
There was no sound.
The Fury was desperately trying to bring his magic to bear, and Feln was going to take the brunt of it. Feln tensed his muscles, expecting an impact of flame, but nothing came forth. TeBroo crashed in from the side at full force, his elbow cracking against the Fury’s vulnerable temple. He was dead before he hit the ground.
The monks tried to put out the fire while others got neighbors to safety. It would be a long time before the fire was controlled, but thankfully there were stone buildings in the area that wouldn’t propagate the fire. Caleth and others made it safely out of the building, filling the street with confused monks, citizens, and onlookers. Smoke billowed from the building, heat radiated. Water was coming, but not soon enough.
Crawling to the Dragonfly blade, Feln grabbed it and stood up. His back hurt like hell. The guards were pulling Caleth this way and that, trying to get farther away from the fire and to a safer location. With a free hand, Feln yanked the small shurikens that were embedded in his legs. He took one step toward Caleth and mysteriously, one of his bodyguards slumped to the ground.
A third assassin.
There was a dart protruding from the dead monk’s neck, a missed shot. Feln was sure the assassin was readying another dart, so they had to act quickly. He saw TeBroo pointing toward the roofline of a building, and he moved that way. A figure appeared briefly and another dart whizzed by. It clattered to the street barely missing a dodging Caleth. The Accord of the Hand monks sprang into motion. The assassin ran along the roof, taking a diagonal course to traverse the slope. He was heading for the other side of the building.
“Capture him!” Feln screamed as he limped along.
TeBroo went by in a blur with more monks, taking a direct line for the assassin. Feln followed but couldn’t catch up. He could hear Caleth shouting orders. Around a corner he went, nearly running into a monk who was stationary. An arrow streaked from the monk, fluttered down the alley, and struck the assassin in the back. The assassin tripped and fell forward. Monks, running along the side, sprang to the middle and jumped on the assassin and immobilized him. As Feln arrived, the monks were peeling away from the downed assassin. He looked to be a monk, but no one they knew, and his eyes were lifeless, his jaw slack. Protruding from his arm was a poison dart, self-inflicted or an accident Feln guessed. Shades! They had no one to question! The pain of his injuries came and Feln winced. TeBroo was giving orders, then grabbed Feln’s arm and directed him back to where Caleth was waiting in safety. Once they arrived, they all were escorted away from the area along with Caleth and his remaining guards. They found refuge in an alley, set up defensive positions on each end, and began to sort things out. Though they doubted a fourth assassin, they needed to get Caleth out of Waskhal right away.
The crate Feln leaned against creaked. The burn on his back was aching, but fortunate for him it only had burned through his robe and part of his fighting clothes. A monk came over to assist him with his injuries. There was a red handprint on his back, and the monk attending to him made a comment about him really being a member of the Hand now that he had been branded. Feln laughed and his back hurt. His shoulder, hip, and leg were bleeding from the throwing stars, all minor injuries. Those wounds would heal quickly, and he knew the magic belt around his waist would help. They bandaged him up and pronounced him fit. He drank water and watched as TeBroo came toward him. He looked to be in a bad mood.
“I ordered you to bring help,” TeBroo said. “You disobeyed my order!”
“You were wrong and you know it. A second assassin followed you and you let him straight to Caleth!”
“In retrospect, yes, that was stupid of me to go in the building,” TeBroo said. “We couldn’t find him, so we split up and agreed to meet at the building.”
“That was a mistake as well,” Feln said. “You should have stayed together. The monk you had with you is probably dead.”
“That doesn’t change the fact that you disobeyed my order. There will be consequences.”
“This is the wrong time to be harping on protocol,” Feln spoke with a cool even tone. “Had I not intervened they would have succeeded. You and Caleth would have been roasted alive, and had that not worked, the third assassin would have gotten you with poison darts. I’m the reason you’re alive!”
Caleth approached them and asked, “What’s going on here?”
“Debating the finer points of protocol,” Feln said before TeBroo could answer. He felt the anger rise. “Had I not followed him from the monastery, this would have been a bigger disaster than it is.”
“Had you found Ayorris and brought reinforcements, this could have been avoided,” TeBroo countered. “We would have had better numbers.”
“Numbers mean nothing against Furies,” Feln stated. “You don’t know what you’re dealing with. I do. Besides, how would we know where to go with the reinforcements?”
“Enough,” Caleth said. “TeBroo, get all of the personnel back to the monastery. Take the dead assassins – see if anyone can identify them, who they are and where they’re from. Send a note to Sabrin if you discover useful information. Be careful what you put in the message. Assume everything will be read by enemy eyes.”
“Master,” TeBroo answered, bowing.
“I’m leaving immediately. Feln, you’re with me.”
“I was going to depart tomorrow and catch up,” Feln said. “That was the plan.”
“Damn the plan. We need to get to Sabrin. I want to see who’s surprised that I’m still alive, and I’m going to make them regret this.”
#
There was a mixture of horses and wagons to convey them to Sabrin, all a
rranged to look like a regular merchant caravan. With every jolt of the road, Feln felt his injuries; his only solace was he knew the belt was healing him quicker than normal. He had fetched what few things remained in his possession; the Favored One belt he brought back for Owori, his weapons, a journal, small books, and new clothing. It was past midnight and the caravan stopped for the evening now that they were miles from Waskhal. Fires kept them warm and food was distributed and eaten, watches set and bedrolls filled with tired monks.
Feln lay there looking up at the clear sky, staring at the bright stars shining down on him. There was a peacefulness in the sky this night, and he relished it while he could. On the edge of his sight was the full white moon, shining brightly above the treetops. The anger with TeBroo diminished now that he considered what might have happened if they had gone after the assassin together. There was the possibility that the trailing assassin would have killed them both instead of just one. It didn’t matter now, TeBroo was back in Waskhal trying to find out who the assassins were. Disobeying orders would eventually become a moot point. His thoughts drifted to Owori, wondering what happened to her and where she was. She had to be in an unexpected place, for her safety, but he didn’t know where Owori would go. There was no word from Sabrin, so he assumed she wasn’t there. Maybe Kara hadn’t been truthful and Owori was still in Bora, but it didn’t make sense for her to lie about Owori leaving. Why would Kara hide where Owori went? Why would she keep it secret? He breathed deeply, feeling tired, and the cooler night air soothed him. He sat up, decided what he should do, and went to find out if Caleth was still awake.
